Five-Star Magic in Northern Ontario

The Inn at Manitou, McKellar, Ontario, Canada

By Edith Hall Friedheim

In 1969 my young husband and I moved to New York City from a town near Toronto to seek fame if not fortune, he as a painter and I as a concert pianist. In our late 20s, with two children to support, we didn't have a single job prospect in sight.

Then a miracle happened. Friends in Toronto recommended us to Canadian  camp directors Ben and Sheila Wise, who were in New York to interview candidates to head the art and music departments for their upcoming season . Our interviews went swimmingly. We were a shoe-in. Youthful, dynamic, gifted, well qualified, and most of all, available. Two for the price of one. And I knew the territory, having spent every summer of my childhood in the Canadian wilderness not far from the Wise's camp on Lake Manitouwabing.  

We didn't get the jobs.  Devastating.  Ben and Sheila staffed their camp without us. And ever the entrepreneurs, in 1974 they added a small hotel facility just down the lake which they called The Inn at Manitou.

Fast forward about 40 years.  I am a travel writer now. Recently, by some mysterious coincidence, my travels have taken me to, of all places, the Inn at Manitou, and I am interviewing Sheila Wise, who with her daughter Jordanna Lipson, still owns and operates the inn.  Now a five-star resort member of the prestigious Paris-based Relais & Chateaux group, the inn is considered one of Canada's most distinguished lakeside destinations.

Where to start? Maybe with the most pervasive aura, which I'd describe as casually elegant and stylishly rural. Situated on 50 acres outside the small town of McKellar, Ontario, 150 miles north of Toronto (slightly over a two-hour drive), with only 34 rooms arranged in tiered cabins sloping up a hill and, remarkably, a staff-to-guest ratio of more than two to one, the Inn is intimate enough to guarantee high-level personal attention. Most rooms come with a separate sitting area, working fireplace and water views, while the luxury accommodations also feature sunken living rooms, private saunas and whirlpool baths. No tv's however; innkeepers Sheila and Jordanna insist nothing should interfere with the tranquility of the place.

My evening arrival is greeted with a glass of champagne and a warm welcome from Sheila Wise. When I see my room I know instantly I never want to leave. Where else can I find this much luxury in a setting so bucolic and remote as to feel like a different planet?

In a pitifully short visit I manage to squeeze in a facial and several signature spa treatments - the holistic chakra rebalancing, hydrotherapy massage, and hot stone wrap are my favorites – a golf lesson, yoga class on the main dock, guided boat tour around the lake, and daily workout at the well-equipped fitness center. The only activity I skip is tennis, but I've been told by Canadian friends that Manitou's tennis program, the original focus of the resort during the 1970's, is one of Canada's best.

As to the cuisine, The Inn at Manitou runs a 12-chef gastronomic kitchen that ranks as a culinary destination in and of itself. The menu is classical French with a dash of Mediterranean and Asian. Seasonal Canadian ingredients are abundantly featured too. And a knowledgeable Sommelier is on hand with suggestions that include some interesting Ontario wines.   

During the season, May to mid-October, The inn offers weekend packages and hands-on workshops for every interest; opera, jazz, cooking, poker and bridge, art, and wine were featured in 2007. Tennis and golf clinics, spa packages, and yoga and cycling retreats are always popular. But for those of us who simply want to wallow in unstructured bliss, just being there is enough.

Americans travel to Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. But hidden in the rural regions around these often-visited cities are some of the most exciting vacation spots in North America. The Inn at Manitou is one of them.

Sheila Wise might have been less than enthusiastic about hiring my husband and me as camp counselors, but she is passionate in her commitment to The Inn at Manitou. "We aim to create a magical experience by combining superb cuisine with a world-class spa and fantastic sport facilities", she says. Judging from my own recent experience, I'd say she has succeeded splendidly.

The Inn at Manitou, 1-800-571-8818; www.manitou-online.com